Reflections in the Dark
by Moondreams
Summary: Hermione finds someone is haunting the halls of Hogwarts and he's no ghost! If his secret is revealed it could put both his and Hermione's life in danger.
1. Midnight visit

Title: Reflections In the Dark  
  
By: Moondreams  
  
Hermione held the lantern up to see the book titles. Harry's invisible cloak rested in her arms. She had kept out of the restricted section but she had finished all her books. How was she supposed to go to sleep without reading something? Really, the new year at Hogwarts had just started, did she really have to finish Magical Mysteries, Mornings with Muggles, and Important Wizards of Asia so soon? It took her half an hour to convince Harry to lend her the cloak. He thought getting a book was a stupid thing to use it for. 'Boys!' she thought with a sigh. They were nothing but trouble. Harry was all goo goo eyes over Cho, which made Hermione simply want to kick him for making such a fool of himself every time he was in inches of her. And Ron. Ron was acting stranger the usual. When she said anything to him he'd blush as red as his hair. It was also driving her insane. Maybe she needed to hang out with more girls, guys were getting way to complicated. She spotted an interesting looking title called Dragons of the Misty Mountains by JRR Tolkin. Unbeknownst to most muggles, the famous author had spent much time in the wizardry world. She picked up the book and thumbed through some of the pages. "The library is closed at night," a male voice echoed out of the darkness. The lantern dropped from her hand and shattered against the stone floor. Hermione grabbed the invisibility cloak, covered herself with it and flew from the library as fast as her legs would take her.  
  
A dark figure knelt down and started picking up the pieces of the lantern. He then turned his attention to the book which had been forgotten. He opened it and read the first couple pages. How interesting. Maybe when the girl is through with it, he'd have a look. Her badge had been one of a Gryffindor. He wanted to return it. well that was entirely true. He wanted to see her again, find out who she was. What kind of girl would break Hogwarts curfew hours to get a book? He paced back and forth. It would be far too dangerous, he'd get a lecture from Dumbledore. After all that the old man had done for him, he just couldn't disobey him any further then he had already.  
  
"Dobby," he whispered. He didn't have to call again for the House elf appeared immediately.  
  
"Master," Dobby said with a slight bow. The boy ignored the title.  
  
"I need you to take this to a Gryffindor girl, with long wavy brown hair. Probably a fifth or sixth year," he said as he handed the large book to the small house elf.  
  
"That would be Ms. Granger, sir. Dobby likes Hermione, Hermione is a friend of Harry Potter's, sir," Dobby said nodding his head. The boy smiled in the darkness.  
  
"Alright, good night, Dobby," he said as he pressed his hand against the oil painting. A wall open and he disappeared through it.  
  
"Good night, sir," and with that Dobby set to his task.  
  
The next morning, Hermione had been half way through dressing when she noticed the book. She paled slightly. She quickly finished dressing and ran down to the Great hall. Harry and Ron were already eating without her. This was nothing new, both had piled great mounds of food on their plates. Both had been growing taller and eating more.  
  
"Something weird happened last night," she said as she helped herself to a piece of toast. Harry looked curious,  
  
"Before or after you returned you-know-what," he lowered his voice.  
  
"Both," she whispered back. She looked around to see if anyone was listening. "Someone spooked me in the library, it was Filtch either. It might have been another student," she whispered. "Nobody is crazy enough to sneak into the library in the middle of the night," Ron commented with a mouthful of food. Hermione shot him a glare. He reddened.  
  
"Then when I get up this morning, the book I dropped was there, on my trunk," she whispered back.  
  
"Are you sure didn't carry it back up and forget about it?" asked Harry. Hermione let out a sigh of annoyance.  
  
"I'm positive," she stated.  
  
"Well this is a bit weird," Ron said simply but Hermione could tell by his voice that he didn't see the weirdness in it. Hermione bit into her toast and went over the possibilities of who was the person the voice belonged to. It was an interesting riddle, one Hermione was determined to find the answer. 


	2. Heard anymore voices?

Title: Reflections in the Dark  
  
Chapter: 2  
  
Notes: Sorry it took me so long to finish this new chapter. I've been busy and actually the story is going to be slightly different from what I had intended it to be. Sorry that this chapter is so short. Thanks for all your reviews, it really kept me at this one. I hope to get the next chapter out soon. Enjoy.  
  
"Potter, you spend too much time in here," clucked Madame Pomfrey. Harry winched as she fingered his newly broken arm.  
  
"Here," she said as she poured a whitish liquid on a spoon. Harry swallowed it almost gagging, but the arm was starting to grow warmer as the bone began to nit.  
  
"You stay here, Potter. Do not move, do you hear me?" she ordered before sweeping towards her office. Stupid Malfoy had pushed him off his broom during practice, Harry let out a low curse. He felt like kicking himself for not watching his back. Stupid Slytherins had interrupted the Gryffindor's practice, which resulted in an unofficial match. Being fierce revivals, both teams agreed. Sunlight streamed through large windows as Harry laid back in the fluffy bed. The room was empty except for one bed that was covered with curtains. Last year a 6th year Hufflepuff ( who should've known better) had accidentally turned himself into a bat. Cases such as that usually got put behind the curtains. A few years before Hermione had been put behind one when her polyjuice potion had gone wrong and she had spent the week getting rid of her cat fur and hacking up hairballs. Hours crawled by and Harry became even more restless.  
  
"Potter, you may go," Madam Pomfrey stated from her office. Harry jumped to his feet and started towards the door. Dumbledore was there.  
  
"Hello, Professor," he said as he scooted past. Albus gave him a smile and greeted the young man.  
  
"Broke his arm," Pomfrey explained.  
  
"Ahh, I see. Poor boy, though from what I've heard, Gryffindor should have an excellent season this year," he said with a smile. Pomfrey simply shook her finger at him. "You aren't supposed to choose favorites," she scolded.  
  
"Old habits die hard," he stated then grew serious.  
  
"How's our other patient?" he asked. Pomfrey clucked disapprovingly and shook her head.  
  
"HE snuck out last night, you know that, don't you?" she stated with his arms crossed.  
  
"Well aware of it," the headmaster said with a nod.  
  
"The bruises are starting to disappear. His broken wrist didn't take long to heal at all, but the rest will have to take time, " she said with a sigh.  
  
"The boy is so thin, like a walking skeleton," she said shaking her head. Dumbledore stroked his beard for a moment.  
  
"Well, time heals most wounds and I'm sure our house-elves will succeed in the boy gaining weight," Albus murmured as he glanced over at the curtained bed.  
  
"Albus, he can't stay here! You must know that! What of the other students? If his family finds out. the Ministry would close this school in an instant!" Madame Pomfrey argued. Dumbledore looked down at her over his crescent shaped glasses.  
  
"You expect me to tell him to go back?" Madame Pomfrey flew up her hands in defeat.  
  
"There's no talking with you, Albus. It was bad having poor Remus here as a student, but now you risk this school with this boy."  
  
"There's no chance that this boy is going to turn into a werewolf, Poppy. The boy made it through the Dark Forest, at least we can do is provide him a safe haven till we get this all worked out. We will find a way to keep him safe," he said nodding curtly as if deciding it for himself. And with that Dumbledore walked over to the bed and quietly pulled back the curtain. The lad was curled up fast asleep. One arm was flung over his face. His bandaged wrist was resting comfortably on his chest. His dark honey colored hair, newly cleaned and free from mats and tangles, spread out on the pillow like a halo. The nightshirt the boy wore nearly swallowed him, showed just how painfully thin he was. Albus shook his head over the sight and let the curtain fall back in place. "Send word when he awakes," he told Poppy as he walked out of the infirmary. There was a lot yet to do.  
  
'Alright, so there's that potion report on wolfsbane due tomorrow, I should revise that again. Oh and transfiguration homework due Tuesday. I guess I should help the boys with their work again. I swear sometimes.' Hermione thought as she walked down the hall towards her History of Magic class. Ron and Harry chattered beside her about the last quiditch match of Ravenclaw vs Hufflepuff.  
  
"Heard anymore voices yet, Hermione?" Hermione stiffened and spun around to see a set of identical faces grinning at her.  
  
"YOU TOLD THEM?!" Hermione screeched at Ron. Students in the hallways stopped in their tracks to view the scene. When realizing this, Hermione's cheeks burned with embarrassment. The twins, in the meantime, were doubled over laughing. Great, just great now everyone was thinking she had gone mental.  
  
"Someone was there! I don't see why it's so hard to believe! I mean, Harry heard voices!" she gestured over at Harry.  
  
"No, he heard snakes, it's different," pointed out Fred still grinning from ear to ear. Hermione looked at the boys to defend her. Neither one was saying anything. She turned on her heel and stalked away from them, ignoring the curious stares of the rest of the students. 


	3. Hagrid's assistant

Title: Reflections in the Dark Chapter: 3 By: Moondreams Notes: Thanks for all your reviews, keep them up I like seeing what you all have to say. Some of them just cracked me up. Well this chapter is longer and I hope ya'll enjoy it. PS I'm looking for someone to edit for me, so if anyone is interested I love some help.  
  
Ron looked up from his potions homework; Hermione hadn't moved an inch from the overstuffed chair in the Gryffindor common room. In her lap, she was reading her Tolkin book occasionally pushing Crookshank's tail away as he swished it over the pages trying to get her attention. She had been ignoring both boys all day refusing to speak a word to them.  
  
"I hate potions. Want to go visit Hagrid tonight?" Harry asked as he laid down his quill and rubbed his eyes.  
  
"Didn't I tell you? Charlie doing a dragon exhibit south of London, Hagrid practically jumped at the chance. You know Hagrid and dragons," Ron explained. Harry nodded and flipped through his potions book. The dark haired boy scowled at the essay and let out a sigh of frustration.  
  
"Hermione, what's the fifth use for wolfsbane?" he asked. Nothing. He scowled again.  
  
"Looks like we won't be getting any help from her, mate. She's really ticked," Ron murmured. Harry nodded in agreement.  
  
"If you didn't tell the twins about Hermione, she would be here helping us," Harry pointed out as he ran his fingers through his unruly hair.  
  
"She's going mental. I mean, who could it have been? I truly doubt no one else has an invisibility cloak and you know how Filtch prowls the halls at night," Ron whispered.  
  
"Well aware of it."  
  
"Bet she has PMS," mused Ron. Harry shrugged and continued to look through his text book for the fifth use of wolfsbane.  
  
She still wasn't talking to them by the next morning. Harry had to admit, the girl could hold a grudge. After a long and very boring lecture by Binns (although all of his lectures were) and the assignment of a research essay, Harry tried again. "I'm sorry," he told Hermione as she gathered up her books.  
  
"For what?" she demanded. Harry was stuck dumb for a minute.  
  
"For what?" he repeated her looking confused.  
  
"For what are you sorry for?" she asked. "Is that a trick question?" he directed his question to Ron. Hermione sighed with annoyance.  
  
"What? What do you want me to say? Ok I'm sorry for being a guy, I'm sorry for breathing.pick a reason, geez Hermione what do you want me to say?" he demanded.  
  
"You two might believe me for once and stop looking at me like I just went mental, Ron!" she yelled at them. Ron opened his mouth, then closed it as his cheeks grew an interesting shade of red.  
  
"Ok, maybe you did hear someone. Maybe it was a ghost or something?" Harry suggested trying to smooth everything else. He had seen Hermione in action when she was angry, he didn't want history to repeat itself.  
  
"It wasn't a Hogwarts ghost," she protested knowing that she would have recognized the voice if it was.  
  
"We'll ask Nick if there were some ghosts visiting for a death day party or something like that," Ron commented. The three walked towards Hagrid's hut for their Care of Magical Creature's class.  
  
"Now about the history assignment, how in the world am I going to pick a member of my magical family to do a report on?" Harry asked.  
  
"Research. Just like I have to do. I've been wanting to trace my family and see who had magical blood before me," Hermione thought out loud as her attention focused on the assignment.  
  
"But it's not like Aunt Petunia will tell me anything and I'm not even sure I have any relatives on my dad's side," Harry pointed out as he shifted the books under his arm to his other side.  
  
"Hello! Sirius and Remus would know. Just owl them, they could probably tell you everything about your dad and mum. And of course there is always the achieves," Hermione told them.  
  
"The achieves?" both boys asked in unison. "Yeah, they used to take pictures of all the students till some purebloods complained that it wasn't keep with tradition of regular paintings. Seriously, if you two would read, you'd know that."  
  
"We do have other stuff to do then read," Harry told her.  
  
"Yes but dreaming of Cho can't possibly take up that much time," Hermione told him. Ron howled with laughed as Harry reddened slightly and elbowed Hermione who was grinning. Hermione was about to egg her friend even farther when she saw it. She gasped in awe and stopped the boys.  
  
"Look!" she said as she pointed to the corral by Hagrid's hut. Students who had come early were already lined up around it. A flawless white unicorn stood in the middle grazing at the lush grass while ignoring all the students.  
  
"It's a unicorn," Ron said with a shrug.  
  
"It's gorgeous," Hermione breathed with wonder as she walked trancelike towards the gate.  
  
"She really has gone mental," Ron said shaking his head.  
  
"Girls like unicorns," Harry said with a shrug. He had to admit, Hermione was acting strangely as of late. As Harry got close to the corral, he noticed bloodied bandage on it's flank.  
  
"Come on, leave Moonspinner be," Hagrid bellowed as he opened the door. One foot was bandaged and Hagrid was leaning heavily on a cane. From his expression, Harry could tell his friend was in some pain.  
  
"Hagrid, what happened?" Harry asked with amazement.  
  
"One of the dragons stepped on my foot, broke every bone," Hagrid explained and sat down on a chair that had been placed outside. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle snickered in the background.  
  
"Stupid oaf," Draco sneered. If Hagrid had heard him, he showed no sign. A long table had been set up, stood empty just in front of Hagrid's pumpkin garden.  
  
"Right, today you'll be learning about Puffskins, oh wait a minute." Hagrid looked again towards the table. Malfoy snickered.  
  
"Sparrow! Get the box," he bellowed from the chair. Nothing happened. None of the students were quite sure what was going on and looked at each other trying to figure out which one he was talking too.  
  
"BOY!" he bellowed again this time getting up to do it himself. He winched and sat back down. The pain was obviously making him irritable. Harry was about to volunteer when someone emerged from Hagrid's hut carrying a heavy box that shook slightly. A thatch of dull brown hair fell into his eyes which the boy didn't bother pushing away. The rest of his hair was tied back messily. He stood around 5'7 and rail thin in build. He looked 16 maybe 17. A cream colored linen shirt hung on his frame. His breeches seemed to fit better but still was loose. His bare feet padded silently on the steps as he walked down trying to balance the moving box. He stopped on the last step and looked at the students with a vapid expression in his brown eyes.  
  
"On the table," Hagrid told him. The boy looked at him dumbly.  
  
"Sparrow put the box on the table," Hagrid explained slower. Some of the students snickered. Sparrow nodded slowly before walking to the table and carefully put down the box of Puffskins.  
  
"Moving on, now many of you have had Puffskins as a pet. The creature comes from the northern part of England." Hagrid started. The students watched as the boy named Sparrow retreated into the house and didn't emerge for the rest of the lesson.  
  
Hermione, Harry and Ron waited till the rest of the students had left before approaching Hagrid. The Slytherins had left yesterday over Draco's comments of how it was fitting for an ignorant oaf to get a half wit for an assistant. Harry scowled at the departing backside of the blonde boy.  
  
"Stupid git," Ron said shaking his head in disgust.  
  
"We'll don't stand there, help me inside and we'll have some tea," Hagrid motioned for the boys to help him back into the hut. Hermione followed after them pushing on Hagrid's backside hoping to relieve a little bit of pressure from the boys who were struggling.  
  
"Hagrid, can't Madam Pomfrey fix your foot?" Hermione asked as the half giant settled into his large chair.  
  
"She tried. Giant bones have an aversion to magic apparently. I'll have to heal the natural way, mostly," Hagrid explained as he grabbed the boiling tea kettle with a pot holder from the hearth. Ron quickly got the teacups down.  
  
"Set an extra one for Sparrow," Hagrid told the red haired boy. Harry looked around the room and peered into the darkened corners. He had not even seen the boy when they had first entered the hut. But Hagrid's new assistant moved silently from the shadows causing Harry to wonder how he had missed him to begin with. Hagrid motioned the boy to join them at the table. Sparrow blinked and slowly moved toward them. His eyes darted from side to side as if expecting something to jump him any second.  
  
"Here, made them myself this morning," Hagrid said as he pulled a cloth from a plate full of biscuits. Hermione and the boys smiled politely but made no move to eat the rather burnt looking biscuits. Sparrow took a seat between Hagrid and Hermione sitting cross legged on the chair.  
  
"Hi, I'm Hermione," Hermione stuck out her hand toward Sparrow. Sparrow watched her and promptly but his teacup in her hand. Ron snickered. Hermione flushed and gave him back the teacup.  
  
"He don't say much," Hagrid offered the piece of information as he poured the tea. Harry didn't bother to point out that that was pretty obvious. "Is he a student?" Ron asked as he watched Sparrow shove one of Hagrid's biscuits in his mouth. Eating Hagrid's cooking was usually considered bad for ones health if not dangerous.  
  
"Nope, found him in the Dark Forest, well Firenze did actually. He found the boy in a cave suffering from phenomena. Since yesterday, Sparrow has spent all of his time in the infirmary," Hagrid explained. Sparrow chewed the biscuit slowly only stopping when Hagrid said his name then kept on eating.  
  
"Where'd he come from?" Harry asked as he took a sip of his tea. Hagrid shrugged.  
  
"There are many wizards houses on the outskirts of the woods. So unless he chooses to tell us, we have no idea. Since I banged up my foot, Dumbledore thought it'd be a good idea for him to stay here and help. Fang seems to like him alright," Hagrid chuckled and rubbed the dog that lay resting by the fire. Hermione watched Sparrow, feeling her eyes upon him, Sparrow glanced in her direction as if asking her, why are you watching me? Hermione averted her gaze.  
  
"Hagrid, about the unicorn." started Hermione. Hagrid's expression became serious as he silenced her with his hand.  
  
"Someone's been hunting them lately, Moonspinner is the 3rd I've seen wounded. Found 2 others dead," Hagrid explained. Harry immediately stiffened.  
  
"Voldermort?" Harry asked. Ron, Hagrid, and Sparrow winced at the name. There was a moment of silence.  
  
"He wouldn't need Unicorn blood anymore, he's fully restored," Hermione said only then realizing that she had been holding her breath. Harry nodded and felt a chill go up his spine. He still very much remembered the scene which had occurred after the Triwizard Tournament. They all settled into silence only broken occasionally by Fang's snoring.  
  
"You're doing it again," Ron commented as the three left the hut. Hermione spun around on her heel and to face him.  
  
"What exactly am I doing?" she demanded. She had felt exhausted with the whole Unicorn ordeal. Someone was hunting them, no doubt for the Dark Lord's pleasure. "Sparrow. You got the same look in your eye when it comes to House elves," Ron pointed out. Hermione sighed.  
  
"So? I feel sorry for him," Hermione admitted.  
  
"Exactly," Ron said glancing over at his friend for support. Harry ignored them both, lost deep in thought. 


	4. Unicorn blood

Title: Reflections in the Dark Chapter: 4 Notes: Major kudos the two people who reviewed, it had me worried a bit that I didn't see anyone reviewing for a while. I thought maybe the last chapter may have sucked or something. And I know this fic is very traditional so far, as HP fanfiction goes. I was thinking of the next scenes of this fic and I almost got hit by a car walking home from class, it was sort of scary. But it's a pretty common occurrence, no one seems to know how to drive on this campus anyway, enough of my chatter, enjoy the story. Feel free to put in your two cents about what should happen or guesses about Sparrow, I enjoy reading them.  
  
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The Gryffindor common room was all abuzz about Hagrid's new assistant. Hermione frowned trying to concentrate on her book as people chattered around her.  
"- the guy is an idiot, Hagrid had to tell him twice -"  
  
"-Dumbledore's illegitimate son - "  
  
"-Sirius Black's son come to avenge his father - "  
  
" - raised by werewolves in the dark forest - "  
  
" - Slytherins will never see it coming, portable swamp in their common room." She hadn't seen the common room like this since the girls found out that Lockheart would be their new Defense against the dark arts teacher during her second year. Hermione sighed, ok she had chattered just as much as any other girl. She had to admit, she was just as curious as the rest of them. But she had more important things to do, finding all the uses for Unicorn blood was one.  
  
"It's nearly impossible," grunted Ron as he flipped through a stack of Hermione's books. "No actually it isn't. Unicorn blood is rarely used, since slaying one is such a crime," Hermione pointed out.  
  
"Well I truly doubt we'll find any of the spells involving Unicorn blood, they're probably all in the restricted section" Harry said as he put down Famous Spells of the Century and rubbed his eyes.  
  
"I'm not so sure it's a spell," Hermione murmured. That caught the boys attention.  
  
"What do you mean, not a spell?" demanded Ron and Harry stated in unison. "Did you two practice that?" Hermione asked with a smile. Ron flushed.  
  
"Well?" Harry asked. "Well, Hagrid said three unicorns had been wounded, two killed, right?" Both boys nodded. "Well, lets say Moonspinner was the latest almost victim, that would mean that they need more then one unicorns blood. I mean the blood of three fully grown unicorns is a lot. Most spells don't work with bulk like that," she stated.  
  
"Unless whoever it is wants to make a lot of whatever potion he's brewing," Harry pointed out. Hermione opened her mouth then shut it again nodding.  
  
"You may be right, back to looking I guess," she said and reopened her book.  
  
Draco Malfoy was bored. More then bored, but he really wasn't sure there was a word that could describe the death by boredom feeling that plagued him at the moment. He let the girl on his right chatter for a moment.  
  
"I'm breaking up with you, Desiree," she told the Slytherin girl and walked away, ignoring her tears.  
  
"That was harsh," Marcus Flint told him oily as he leaned against the doorway leading out of the common room. Draco smirked. "You can have her now if you wish," he told the Captain with a shrug. Marcus snarled at him.  
  
"I don't want your cast offs," he growled. Draco shrugged knowing full well that Desiree would be the best set of legs that Marcus would ever get.  
  
"You think you're so smooth," Marcus snarled at him. Draco smirked knowing full well that Marcus Flint was just jealous.  
  
"Are you finished stating the obvious or is this conversation actually going somewhere?" Draco asked coolly, in a tone that would have done his father proud. Flint's eyes darted over Malfoy as if he was sizing him up.  
  
"Someone's going to knock from your bloody pedestal one day,"  
  
"Like your man enough?" Draco mocked. Flint's rat face became distorted with another snarl.  
  
"It's not like I flaunt myself around like some rich playboy," he challenged. Draco shoved his hands in his pockets and looked bored as if saying 'is that the best you can do?'  
  
"It's not my fault every girl throws herself at me," he smiled knowing he had hit a sore spot when Flint winched. Then Marcus's eyes grew bright. "Not every girl," he said with a malicious grin.  
  
"I see how you watch her," he said circling the blonde boy as a vulture circles a carcass. Draco watched him coldly.  
  
"I watch many girls," Draco said icily. Marcus smiled became even more conniving.  
  
"Maybe, but this one won't have you," he sneered. Draco stiffened.  
  
"I haven't pursued her," he growled. "I bet with you turning on your full Malfoy charm that girls seem to love that you would never, in a million years, get Hermione Granger as a date," Marcus taunted.  
  
"Like I'd want to date that Mudblood," Draco snarled, now aware of the many sets of Slytherin eyes focused on him. Marcus was making him look like a wuss and knew it.  
  
"So you refuse?"  
  
"How much?"  
  
"If you do get the Mudblood to go out with you for 2 dates, I'll help you deal with that thorn in your side," Flint told him. Draco paused. The Flint family was well known for causing 'accidents' of their clients enemies. It paid well. And if Draco could bring Harry Potter to the Dark Lord, then Voldermort would make Draco a Death Eater and join his father.  
  
"And if I lose?"  
  
"You pay me 200 gallons," Flint said with a smirk. Draco eyed him carefully.  
  
"Done," he said extending his hand. Flint took it with a handshake the deal was completed.  
  
By the next morning, fog had settled over the school grounds like a thick blanket. The leaves were turning glorious shades of brown, orange and red in shades which no painter can capture. Hermione, usually observant by nature, ignored all of this as she jogged across the grounds to Hagrid's hut. She spotted Sparrow's thin form leaning against the coral watching the prancing unicorn as it galloped around the fenced in area. It had an indigent look about it, as if saying it was too good to be locked in such a small space. As she grew closer, she noticed he was still barefoot despite the chill that hung in the air. He turned his head and watched her come closer. She smiled and waved. A foolish grin spread on Sparrow's face.  
  
"How are you this morning, Sparrow?" she asked him as she approached. He leaned his head back and looked up into the heavens as if he was checking to see if it indeed was morning. "Good," he said slowly. His voice was soft and warm. Hermione hadn't expected him to say anything but was for some reason extremely glad that he had.  
  
"That's good, is Hagrid inside?" she asked pointing to the hut. Sparrow thought for a minute as if translating her words then nodded slowly. "Ok, thanks," she said before bounding up the stairs. She had figured Hagrid was in his hut all along but she had been hoping for maybe another word from Sparrow.  
  
"Good morning, Hermione," Hagrid greeted from an overstuffed chair. His broken foot was leaning against a pillowed footrest and Fang was snoring peacefully at his side.  
  
"Hi, Hagrid. I have a question," she said as she sat down across from him. Hagrid nodded telling her to go on.  
  
"Well about the dead unicorns, was all the blood taken?" she asked. Hagrid thought for a moment.  
  
"Most of it, I'd say," he said with a nod.  
  
"Could it be vampires?" she asked with curiosity. Hagrid shook his head.  
  
"Not even they'd touch a unicorn, their kind has few rules but killing a unicorn is one of them," he told her.  
  
"Were there any clues? Any foot prints?" Hermione asked as she got up and started pacing with her hands behind her back.  
  
"Well, yes, two sets, both belong to men by the length of it," Hagrid answered then stroked his beard as he leaned back in the chair. Hermione pondered the new piece of information and tucked it away for future use. Two men. it made sense..there would have to be more then one to transport all that blood.  
  
"Could you find it again?" she asked Hagrid. Hagrid thought for a moment then nodded.  
  
"Maybe if we mixed up some plaster, we can get a shoe print and discover who it is by that," she told him. Hagrid smiled.  
  
"Hermione, that's a bloody good idea," Hagrid praised her. Hermione grinned.  
  
"Can't take all the credit. I saw something like that on a muggle TV show, but it just might work," she said as her mind raced over the possibilities. She walked over towards the door then turned,  
  
"When you do go, can I come with you?" Hermione asked hopefully. Hagrid shook his head. "It's too dangerous," he told her seriously.  
  
"PLEASSEE Hagrid, I'll do anything," she begged. It was her idea and she desperately wanted to go to make sure things went smoothly. Hagrid sighed and caved in. He was fond of the girl, he had always consider Harry, Hermione and Ron to be nieces and nephews he would never had.  
  
"Thanks Hagrid," she said smiling sweetly. "Before you go, Hermione," Hagrid stopped her before she left. She turned to see him holding up a gold ribbon and a small medical box.  
  
"Haven't been able to catch Moonspinner since I busted me foot," he said and gave her the items.  
  
"Unicorns are more fond of girls, anyhow," he told her. Hermione nodded and went outside to tend the unicorn.  
  
Hermione found Sparrow sitting on the wet grass as still as a statue. Moonspinner had stopped galloping around the fenced in area to sniff him. Both stared at each other as their noses almost touched. The boy almost looked like he wasn't breathing, he was so still. Hermione took a step forward and a twig snapped under her boot. The unicorn jerked its head up and galloped away to the opposite end of the fence. Sparrow spun around with an expression of a wild thing ready to run at the first hint of danger. At the sight of the Gryffindor student, Sparrow calmed tremendously and the vapid expression fell over his features once more like he had slipped on a mask that had fallen away for just a second.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she apologized. He shrugged slowly.  
  
"Hagrid asked me to tend her," she said motioning to the Unicorn. He tilted his head slightly as a bird might do when studying something. Hermione wondered if that was why he had gotten the name Sparrow or was it because of his dull brown hair? She climbed over the fence and stood beside Sparrow as they both watched the unicorn prance gracefully around. From his seat position, he looked up at her as if saying, well? Hermione took a deep breath and started to walk towards the unicorn.  
  
"Slow," Sparrow told her. Her steps became slower as she inched closer the unicorn. It had a wild look in its eye as if it would bolt any second. With painstaking slowness she lifted the golden lasso and put it over the unicorn's head. The beast snorted and lifted on its hind legs slightly before coming down hard, inches from Hermione's foot. Hermione gulped. It was a big horse, if one could really a unicorn such. Her heart hammered in her breast as the unicorn watched her as if it was expecting to see HER turn and run. Without her realizing it, Sparrow was standing beside her watching the beast snort with indigence.  
  
"Talk to it," he told her and retrieved the box out of her hands before she could protest.  
  
"Hello girl," she said and reached out a slight trembling hand to stroke its muzzle. At the sound of her voice, the beast calmed. It's fur felt like nothing else Hermione had ever touched, almost like each hair was as smooth as silk.  
  
"Don't worry, we'll have you fixed up soon, so you can go back to your mate. Is that's what's worrying you?" she talked to Moonspinner gently. In the corner of her eye, she watched Sparrow removed the soiled bandages, clean the wound, and put a fresh new herb compact over the silver gash on it's flank. He did all this quickly with nimble fingers.  
  
"Boys can't live by themselves, they need us to take care of them, you know. Harry and Ron need me all the time, they just don't show it, a lot. Boys are like that," she told the unicorn. Sparrow paused and looked up from his work. His eyes held a look of amusement as the mask fell away yet again. He caught her gaze and lowered his eyes as he fumbled with the bandages. The idiot had returned.  
  
"Easy girl," she soothed the unicorn which had flinched.  
  
"Let her go," he told Hermione quietly as he put the rest of the bandages and ointment in the box. She did as she was told and the unicorn pranced regally away as if telling her that the whole ordeal hadn't happened. It was a like a queen trying to cover up an embarrassing affair. She had a feeling that the unicorn wasn't the only one pretending. 


	5. The first 'date'

Title: Reflections in the Dark  
  
Chapter: 5  
  
By: Moondreams  
  
Notes: I had such a writer's block with this one! Sorry it took so long. Merry Christmas to everyone! I heard somewhere that the soldiers in Iraq couldn't say Merry Christmas on TV that they had to say Happy Holidays. I hate that everything has to be so politically correct. It's a bunch of crap if you ask me. Well, ok I'm getting down from my soapbox. So, Happy Hanukah, Kwanzaa, and Merry Christmas to everyone!! Thanks for the reviews, some ya'll are really funny and had me cracking up! The reviews really kept me going on this one, so keep up the good work and thanks for making me laugh. Kudos to Lucian's Babe for the 'reviewing on caffeine', LiquidV for the longest review with good suggestions even though this isn't a slash fic, and magicalferret for the ' Hermione saying okay, i know you're not a retard. so spill" review. Thanks again for the reviews!!! Keep reviewing. I could use suggestions lol. Feel free to flame if you wish just be kind. Is that even possible for flaming? OK enough chatter, Enjoy!  
  
Moonlight streamed through the windows causing the shadows to dance on the walls. Hermione pulled on the invisible cloak and snuck out of the Gryffindor common room. What had happened to her? She used to be such a stickler for the rules. Harry and Ron had happened, they had corrupted her, she thought with a smile. Her feet walked the familiar path the library without her having to think of it. Her mind was still on other matters. Hagrid had said that she could get the foot print casts soon. A voice in her head warned her that she might be getting over her head. It was true of course, only someone evil would surly kill so many unicorns. Harry had become moody at the possible threat of Voldermort reappearing. She knew that he sometimes wished that he could just be a normal wizard instead of having his life in jeopardy constantly. But Hermione couldn't imagine Harry sitting back and not doing anything. She pushed open the heavy doors of the library and let herself in. The smell of old book pages and dried ink greeted her. She smiled and scanned the books. Each book was filled with a piece of knowledge just waiting to be absorbed. She had loved books as long as she could remember. They had been her passion. She picked up one labeled Camelot: a study of the magical realm of Merlin. She fingered the gilded front and flipped open the book.  
  
"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" a male voice asked. Hermione jumped and the book flew from her hand. She spun around just to come face to face with Malfoy. She grimaced.  
  
"What do you want, Ferret boy?" she asked coldly as she reached down and picked up her book  
  
"Hello to you too, Granger," he said coolly in a tone that matched hers completely. The two eyed each other for a second.  
  
"What are you doing here, Malfoy? Doing some late night plotting?" she baited with her arms crossed. It had unnerved her to run into him in the library of all places, in the middle of the night. Malfoy watched her. She was shivering slightly, not because of him, of course. She had too much backbone to ever do that.  
  
"I couldn't sleep," he admitted and stared out the window into the star lit sky. "Do you ever have dreams that haunt you? It makes you afraid to close your eyes to what you might find," he murmured. Hermione blinked. No sarcastic remark? When she didn't answer him, he turned around and looked at her. "No, I guess you wouldn't," he said with a shrug. Hermione watched him cautiously as she clutched her book to her chest.  
  
"Do you come here often.when you can't sleep?" she asked as she leaned against a table.  
  
"Sometimes. Filtch hardly comes in here, you know," Malfoy said softly. Could he have been the one that scared her just a few nights before? Hermione's eyes narrowed. Where was the arrogant git? It was like someone had taken over Draco's body. well mind anyway.  
  
"You could ask Pomprey for a dreamless sleep potion, you know," she pointed out. Malfoy shook his head.  
  
"I don't ask anyone for help," he stated coldly sounding like his usual self.  
  
"Asking for help doesn't make you weak," Hermione stated with a matter of fact voice that she used mostly on Harry and Ron. And with that Draco smiled, not his usual smug smile, but a sort of sad smile.  
  
"Try telling my dad that, you don't know what's its like to always have to." he let his voice trail off. Hermione's hand found its way to Draco shoulder. "It's ok," she said then shook herself mentally. What the heck was going on? She was acting like a bloody idiot! Yet she could see pain in his eyes and her heart nearly broke. She watched him carefully and looked into his light blue eyes. She searched them for a motive.  
  
"What do you want?" she asked slowly. Draco shook his head in protest.  
  
"Nothing, Granger. Nothing at all," he told her as he leaned back in his chair.  
  
"That'll be the day," she mumbled under her breath with her arms crossed. The coldness was starting to seep up her legs. Any moment she knew that her teeth would begin to chatter.  
  
"Well, good night then," she said with a nod.  
  
"Who's in there!" a voice bellowed. Hermione and Draco both froze at the sound of Filtch's voice. Hermione's eyes darted to the cloak in her arms. She couldn't put it on, then Malfoy would know of its existence. Draco quickly jumped up and gave Hermione a mighty shove sending her reeling to the ground.  
  
"Under the desk, now!" he hissed and he turned his head as if trying to see Filtch through the darkness. Hermione darted in the shadow cubby under the desk as the caretaker approached.  
  
"What do you want, old man?" Draco asked looking smugly up from the book he had grabbed.  
  
"It's past curfew, Slytherin," Filtch said with a frown. Hermione held her breath as the two faced off. If it was Harry or herself, they would've been hulled to Snape for punishment.  
  
"So it is," the blonde haired boy drawled look very unimpressed.  
  
"Who else is here?" Filtch scanned the library. Mrs. Norris was nowhere to be seen. Maybe Fred and George stuffed her in one of the toilets again.  
  
"Just me,"  
  
"I could've sworn I heard two voices," Filtch growled.  
  
"Are you hearing voices again? I wouldn't tell anyone, people would start to talk," Draco warned looking extremely bored about the whole ideal. Hermione bit back a gasp. Filtch was really going to get him now. Filtch snarled at him.  
  
"By the way, I saw Potter in the Great Hall about 10 minutes ago, if you hurry you'll be able to catch him," Malfoy remarked. Filtch spun on the ball of his heel and hurried out of the library. Draco smiled smugly and went back to reading as he glanced one or twice to see if the old man was coming back.  
  
"You can come out now,"  
Hermione crawled out seething. Draco raised an eyebrow in question. "What?" he asked. "You sent him after Harry!" she said with a stomp of her foot.  
  
"But your Golden boy is not in the Great Hall, is he?" asked Draco. Hermione stopped for a second.  
  
"Well, no, but still." she protested.  
  
"But it worked for us getting him to leave," Draco pointed out snapping the book shut.  
  
"The ends don't always justify the means," she argued.  
  
"Would you rather be in detention now for skipping curfew and sneaking into the library?" he questioned.  
  
"No? Then how about saying thank you?" he continued. Hermione rolled her eyes but murmured a thank you.  
  
"I didn't hear you, Granger," Malfoy stated.  
  
"THANK YOU," Hermione said louder.  
  
"You owe me," he pointed out. The brown haired girl looked to him in  
disbelief.  
  
"Think again, Ferret," she argued.  
  
"You do."  
  
"Do not."  
  
"I saved you from detention." Hermione felt like screaming. She just HAD to come down here tonight. She felt like kicking herself then drop kicking Malfoy.  
  
"So what do you want?" she asked with a huff.  
  
"I need help," he told her. Hermione leaned against the table and watched him come towards her.  
  
"I can't give you a new heart," she retorted. "Ouch, Granger, hitting below the belt, aren't we?"  
  
"Drop dead,"  
  
"You'd like that, wouldn't you? I need help in History of Magic. I failed my last test and need helping studying for the test we have on Thursday," he explained. Hermione looked at him for a moment. The moonlight was turning his hair an almost silvery color. It played against his white shirt making it glow slightly. He could easily pass for an angel if Hermione didn't know any better. "Is that it?" she asked.  
  
"No, I want your first born to sacrifice," he drawled. He looked at her stunned face.  
  
"Kidding, Granger. It's a joke. Lighten up," he said grinning. "Alright, when?" she asked.  
  
"Tomorrow, 4pm, in the unused classroom next to the entrance," Malfoy told her quickly. A little too quickly, could he have planned this?  
  
"Fine," she said as she turned and walked quickly out, leaving the book left on the table. Malfoy watched her flee with a smug smile on his face.  
  
By the next morning, it was raining. Not just raining, it was pouring. Hermione stared gloomily out of the window during Transfiguration. "Well, it was a good idea, you know," Ron tried to comfort her.  
  
"Yeah, would've worked really well," Harry added giving her an encouraging smile. Hermione let out a sigh but said nothing as she watched the rain beat on the window panes. She had been so close! Was the Ministry of Magic doing anything to stop the killings? She doubted it. Maybe when she was done with school she'd go and work for the ministry making sure to pay close attention to all things that got over looked. Like the house elves. Like the unicorns. Like Sparrow.  
  
The students trudged through the rain as their umbrellas threatened to break with each gust of wind. They all crowded into Hagrid's hut, usually two per each oversized chair. About 10 sat on the edge of Hagrid's bed, about five on Sparrow's. Many sat cross-legged on the floor. Draco and his goons stood leaning against the door looking cool. "Sorry for the lousy weather," Hagrid apologized and passed round large cups full of hot tea to the wet students. Harry, Ron and Hermione were fortunate to get a chair.  
  
"Alright, for today's lesson," Hagrid started as he sat down on an overstuffed chair closest to the fire propping his leg up. The door was yanked open, Draco who had been leaning on it, fell backwards against the surprised Sparrow sending them both sprawling in the mud. The covered birdcage that Sparrow had been holding flew from his hand and landed on its side in the mud. Whatever was in it squawked in protest. The students howled with laughter. Crabbe and Goyle quickly rushed to Draco's side. Sparrow who was beginning to stand up was thrown off balance yet again as Crabbe and Goyle shoved past him. Hermione leapt from her chair and rushed outside to help Sparrow up.  
  
"Are you ok?" she asked him as she helped him up. Sparrow nodded and picked up the cage and the two made their way back into the hut, both extremely wet with rain. Sparrow's clothes were covered with mud and clung to his thin body making him look even smaller. Draco was pulling off his mud cover robe and glaring at Hagrid's assistant. Sparrow laid the cage gently on the table and pulled off the covering revealing a vulture like bird. He then sat down in a darkened corner away from the rest of the students. His eyes moved dully from each student and rested briefly on Hermione who met his gaze. "This bird is what you'd call an Irish Phoenix," Hagrid started.  
  
"Once thought to predict death with it's scream, this here bird actually predicts bad weather like today."  
  
"So did you hear about Fred and George? The Slytherin room was covered with a swamp. They didn't get caught but I think Snape has a good idea it was them," Ron whispered to Hermione.  
"Or us," Harry shrugged.  
  
"They're gonna get kicked out if they keep it up," Hermione stated flatly. Her glanced quickly at Sparrow in the corner. His head was resting against the wall and his eyes were closed. Hermione grabbed her cup of tea and walked toward him ignoring the curious gazes of the others. Hagrid ignored her and kept on teaching.  
  
"Sparrow?" she asked and knelt beside him. His eyes opened in surprise. She handed him the warm cup, which he accepted with a smile. He gave her a nod in thanks. She turned her head slightly and caught Draco glaring at her and Sparrow. She walked back over to her seat feeling both Draco's and Sparrow's eyes follow her.  
  
Ron dropped a couple of stacks of books on the library table sending up clouds of dust from their yellowed pages.  
  
"Apparently, the achieves don't get looked at that often," Harry said coughing as he covered his mouth and nose with his robes. Hermione coughed and nodded. She pushed her potions homework and grabbed one.  
  
"So, you were both born in 1981 so we should probably look around the seventies for your parents, Harry, and probably the sixties for you Ron," Hermione explained. She opened a book and sneezed as another cloud of dust surrounded her.  
  
"I think we need to do some anti-dust charms on these," she said in between sneezing. She grabbed her wand and uttered the charm. The dust immediately disappeared.  
  
"I could use that one for my room," Ron said with adoration. Hermione never did cease to amaze him.  
  
"Here, I found Remus' picture," she said pointing out a picture of a brown haired young man with a small smile playing on his lips. Harry rushed around the table and looked over her shoulder.  
"Remus Lupin, Gryffindor, 6th year, Most likely to open a bookstore," Harry read out loud laughing. "Apparently each student was given some superlative by their year," Hermione said grinning as she read some of the more funnier ones.  
  
"Most likely to turn his sister into a toad, most likely to have made out with every single girl at Hogwarts, now that's a record. Oh here's Sirius': Most likely to hex Severus Snape into a pin cushion," Hermione read. Ron and Harry howled with laughter.  
  
"Here's my dad, most likely to win the Quidditch World Cup," and with that Harry sobered. "I wonder, would he have? If he wasn't." Harry couldn't finish and shook his head. "I really don't see how this can help us except see our parents with weird hairstyles," Ron pointed out flipping through the books.  
  
"Oh ye of little faith," Hermione said smugly as she waved her wand at James Potter's picture. A list of classes appeared beside the picture and the picture started to talk.  
"Hi, I'm James Potter. A shout out to all my friends, just remember, we're the class they warned you about," the picture said with a wink.  
  
"What my future holds? In 10 years, my face will be on posters," he said with a laugh.  
  
"Wanted posters maybe!" Sirius's picture remarked.  
  
"On Quidditch posters," James corrected.  
"And I'll be married to Lily and have 3 kids and a dog of course," James continued. Sirius' picture laughed. "A black one, named Snuffles," James grinned. Sirius laughed even harder.  
  
"And it'll be fixed," James remarked with a mischievous grin. Sirius stopped laughing.  
  
"Hey, now that's not even right!" Sirius remarked. "Well, that it, congrads to the graduating class!" James said with a wave and picture stilled to the smiling young face of James Potter.  
"Do they all talk?" asked Harry with wonder.  
  
"Yes, of course," Hermione said with a grin. Then she sat up suddenly and glanced at a clock on the library wall. "It's almost four, I got to go," she said grabbing her books and stuffing them into her bag.  
  
"Where are you going, Mione?" asked Ron. Harry looked at her with curiosity wondering the same thing. "I meet you at dinner," she said not bothering to answer. With that, she left leaving behind two very puzzled boys.  
  
Marcus Flint watched from a behind a statue in the hall as Hermione slipped into the classroom. "That's one," Draco stated as he joined his fellow Slytherin. "I said date," Marcus scowled.  
  
"It's a study date," Draco grinned with triumph. "The last two have to be real dates," Marcus stated with a sneer that showed two rows of crooked teeth.  
  
"Fine, well I have a date to go to, see you later, Flint," he said as he slapped his friend on the back before walking to the classroom. The sneer on Flint's face became more pronounced. He leaned back against the cold stone wall and thought for a moment. He truly doubted Draco would be able to get two more dates with the mudblood. Even so, if he did, Marcus would just have to get rid of Harry Potter for him. Thus resulting in Marcus becoming a Death eater when he handed the bloodied body over to the Dark Lord. Then evidence could appear blaming Draco for the murder of the Gryffindor golden boy. On the other hand, if Malfoy couldn't get another date then Marcus would get the money and blackmail material. If Draco's father found out that his son was dating a mudblood, he'd either pay Marcus to keep silent about whole ordeal or disown his son. If Draco did get disowned then he wouldn't be the spoiled rich prat who felt he could rule Slytherin. Flint rubbed his hands together greedily, either way he won in the end. Malfoy was walking into his own downfall. He whistled tunelessly as he made his way back to the Slytherin common room dreaming of all the possible outcomes. Maybe if he had turned around he would've seen a thin brown haired boy immerge from a darkened corner. 


	6. Hair Dye and Spilt Ink

Title: Reflections in the Dark  
  
Chapter: 6  
  
By: Moondreams  
  
Notes: I know it's been a long while since I posted last and for that I'm sorry. Kudos to Ann Dragon Malfoy who emailed me and LiquidV who's hoping for disembowelment of Draco apparently. Hopefully, the next chapter will be posted soon. I had such problems with this one. Stupid writers block. I'm trying to clear up a bit of what's going on without giving too much away. Anyway, enjoy. And review, it makes me post sooner. Yeah, I know that sounded lame. Oh, well.  
  
Sparrow sat in his usual place as he leaned against the wall and watched the unicorn. The amulet on his chest, hidden by his shirt, felt heavier for some reason. He took it out and rubbed his thumb over the raised golden unicorn that had been engraved on it's blood red stone. He had meant to get rid of the cursed thing as soon as he had gotten to civilization. But Firenze had dragged him out of his cave and messed up his plans. Meddling centaur, he couldn't be like the rest of his kind and just ignore Sparrow. Centaur's had an uncanny ability to ignore everyone but themselves. They were vain creatures in the knowledge as unicorns were in their beauty. Even now Moonspinner was prancing around making a complete spectacle of herself. Sparrow put the amulet back under his shirt as he gave Moonspinner the attention she had wanted. He blinked twice and jerked his head to the side to tell her that he thought she was just showing off. She snorted before thrusting her head up in the air and prancing in the opposite direction. He had grown up reading the body language of animals since his contact with humans had mostly been limited. It wasn't hard to mimic the movements either. Some animals were near impossible to read, insects for one, fluttered around in such a hurry that none ever took time to 'talk'. The tamed animals mostly wanted to be petted or feed showing the laziness in their domestic lifestyles. Humans, on the other hand, were hard to read at times. During his hiding in the Dark Forest he had avoided human like creatures, like vampires and centaurs with the exception of Firenze who enjoyed having a human to talk to while trying to read Sparrow's future at times. He had tried talking with the merefolk but he failed to learn their screeching language as many of them tried to pull him into the water no matter what the temperature. It was strange being surrounded by so many humans all the time. After each care of magical creatures class, Sparrow was more then ready to see most of them go. Except for Hermione, she was the only one that had ever bothered to talk to him which at times made him uneasy and happy at the same time. But he enjoyed seeing her, nevertheless, he mused as he laid back into the grass and stared up overcast sky.  
  
"Ready for the Hogsmead trip tomorrow?" asked Dean the moment Harry sat down at the Gryffindor table. Harry grinned and nodded.  
  
"I heard Zonko's is getting in some new nose biting tea cups," George, who had been eavesdropping, butted in. "Why would you want nose biting tea cups?" asked Neville with puzzlement as he shoved a spoonful of hot eggs into his mouth.  
  
"Think about it, mate," Fred stated with a mischievous grin.  
  
"Afternoon tea?" Hermione asked in a 'I really don't want to know but I might as well ask' kind of voice.  
  
"Hello! Divination! Swap Trelawny's cups with one of those and we might actually stay awake during the class," George grinned broadly as he envisioned  
  
"Then she'll use the whole class to say how she envisioned it happening and she didn't do anything because it'd change fate or something like that," Ron, who had been sitting next to Hermione, sighed as if picturing the whole episode.  
  
"Loony old bat," Ginny remarked. The Gryffindors turned to stare at the red head who blushed to her roots.  
  
"What? She is," Ginny stated still blushing who had a deep loathing for the divination professor since she tried to predict Harry's death almost ever week.  
  
"You've corrupted her," Ron accused the twins. The two identical faces just grinned back at him.  
  
"It's about time we corrupted someone, might as well be Ginny," Fred snickered. "Just don't tell Mum, she's already stressing over Dad, the last thing I need is a howler," Ron said as he remembered the last one he received.  
  
"Why is she stressing over your dad?" Harry asked wondering out loud. "Dad's been getting major over time lately," Fred replied.  
  
"And not a lot of money," George pointed out.  
  
"Did anyone get the scores of Ireland's last Quidditch game?" Seamus asked changing the subject. The talk immediately turned to Quidditch and England's chance for the next World Cup. Hermione bit into a piece of bacon and absent-mindedly glanced at the head table were the professors ate. She knew Sparrow never sat there but she couldn't resist looking during every meal. Maybe Ron was right, maybe she did obsess too much over things she felt were getting walked over, like Neville. Yes, that's it, she should treat Sparrow like Neville and not have him on her mind all day. She was almost positive that it had been Sparrow who had frightened in the library. Even though that would've ever been the longest sentence that she had ever heard him utter. But how could've he have gotten into the Gryffindor girl's dorms? She frowned as she chewed and pondered the answer. Suddenly, Dean and Seamus burst out laughing catching her attention. They were pointing up at the staff table where Snape's greasy hair was now a brilliant Gryffindor red with gold tips. Snape's face was turning the same shade as his new hair as he stood up and left in a huff. McGonagall's face cracked into a smile and Dumbledore's eyes sparkled with humor. As if taking cue from their head of Gryffindor, the table burst out laughing soon joined in by the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Fred got out a short pad of paper and checked a list that had been sprawled on it.  
  
"So the Tie Dye Hair Elixir works," he explained. "Is it temporary?" Hermione asked frowning. Both twins grinned back at her and shrugged while the other Gryffindors turned to congratulate them. Ron and Harry were both clutching their sides as tears streamed down their faces from laughing so hard. Hermione sighed and stood up with a no-nonsense expression on her face.  
  
"Come on Mione, tell me seeing Snape like that wasn't the funniest thing you've ever seen in your life," Harry laughed wiping tears from his cheeks.  
  
"Except the amazing bouncing ferret," Ron pointed out. Harry nodded and laughed harder.  
  
"Do either of you remember what class we have next?" Hermione asked. Both stopped laughing as a look of dismay crossed their faces.  
  
"Hell," Ron swore as he sat down.  
  
"Might as well kill us now, mate," Harry said to the twins who merely shrugged and kept talking about how much they should charge for the new dye.  
  
The Gryffindor students shuffled into the dungeon silently. Each one sat down at his or her desk opening their text books or just staring down at an 'interesting' spot on their desk.  
  
"You're in for it now," Draco sniggered as he walked by the trio. Ron and Harry glared up at him. Draco caught Hermione's stare and winked at her. Ron just about leapt out of his seat and would've lunged at the blonde haired Slytherin if Harry hadn't been holding him back.  
  
"Ignore him," Hermione said with a frown.  
  
"Enough of the chatter," Snape boomed making all the Gryffindors jump. Neville, who had been sitting next to Hermione, slid down his seat a little farther as if he was trying to disappear under his desk. A large wizard hat was jammed down over Snape's head trying to cover up the coloring. From the look on his face, he apparently had been unsuccessful at removing the color. He gave them an extra hard potion to do going by each of the Gryffindors and giving each a scathing insult. He got to Hermione's, whose potion was perfect as always, and glared down at her. She met his gaze. He continued on to Neville's. His potion was an awful puke green color instead of the emerald green it was supposed to be. "Sloppy work, Longbottom," he sneered making the boy grow pale in the face. "Hold on, he's not done Professor," Hermione interrupted. She put the last teaspoon of ash into the cauldron making it turn the perfect color.  
  
"5 points from Gryffindor for helping him," Snape said menacingly.  
  
"That's not fair," she stated hotly.  
  
"5 more points," Snape said almost daring for her to continue.  
  
"Are you quite finished, Ms. Granger?" he sneered at her. She opened her mouth but before she could continue a loud crash came in the front of the room. Snape jerked around turning his attention from the Gryffindor girl to the person standing in front of the class. At the boy's feet was the remains of a glass jar containing dead toads.  
  
"Sparrow," he heard the girl whisper. Several of the Slytherins burst out laughing.  
  
"BOY! What are you doing in my class?" Snape bellowed. Sparrow dropped to one knee and clumsily started picking up the pieces not bothering to answer. His fingers fumbled over his task and he dropped a large piece just to have it shatter on the hard stones again. Snape sighed in frustration. What was it about Dumbledore and hiring idiots? First Trewlawny then Hagrid and now this dumb boy. "What do you need?" he demanded as he crossed the room in three long strides. The boy looked at him with a vapid expression.  
  
"Hagrid," he said simply. He cocked his head to the side and looked up at the greasy haired professor.  
  
"And?" he demanded.  
  
"Pain." Snape crossed his arms ignoring the sniggering of the Slytherin students and some Gryffindors as well.  
  
"Potion."  
  
"Is Poppy out?" he growled down at the boy. Sparrow looked at him and shrugged. "A bright one, he is," Ron said sarcastically. Hermione glared at him causing the boy to flush. "The blue one on the second self, then write it down on the log order on my desk," Snape snarled and then once again turned his attention to the students. Sparrow found the potion after a minute of searching and carefully laid it on the desk. He turned towards the log book and closed his eyes for a second. He looked down and flexed his hand, which was shaking. He picked up the quill slowly. Several Slytherins sniggered. He pressed it down upon the paper and started to copy each letter found on the label.  
  
"BOY!" Snape yelled. Sparrow's head jerked up and he jumped away from the desk. The movement jarred the ink causing it to knock over. He reached to try to catch only to get a handful of ink.  
  
"Clumsy boy!" Snape snarled as he rushed over to his desk trying to remove everything from the ink's path. With a wave of his wand, the ink disappeared.  
  
"Can't you write?" Snape demanded looking down at the beginnings of the potion's name being scribbled out in shaky letters. Sparrow looked up at him with fearful brown eyes and quickly shook his head. He grabbed the potion and sprinted out of the room. Snape watched him go. His eyes narrowed.  
  
"No, it can't be..." he whispered. "Class dismissed, leave your cauldrons on the table. You can pick them up later today," he bellowed and then stalked out of the classroom and headed towards the Headmaster's office.  
  
"What was that all about?" Harry asked as he walked down to the Great hall with Hermione and Ron at his side.  
  
"I don't know but Sparrow probably saved us from getting a ton of homework. Remind me to kill my brothers later," Ron said with a sigh.  
  
"It was so worth it, I hope Colin got a picture," said Harry with a grin on his face. Ron laughed.  
  
"Yeah, it'd be the first time he did something right with that blasted camera of his." Hermione said nothing as she replayed the events in her head. Something about Sparrow had put the Potion's Master on edge. But what? She was jarred out of her thoughts as someone shoved her aside. A bunch of Slytherins pushed the three of them out of their way as they headed towards the Great Hall.  
  
"Stupid Slytherins," Ron said.  
  
"...and the jewel's were gone all of them," a Slytherin girl told her friend who gasped in return.  
  
"All of them?" the friend as with her mouth wide open in shock.  
  
"All of them! Ministry's keeping it hush hush though, doesn't want a bunch of important wizarding families getting all worked up. They're covering their butts, that's what they're doing," the other said. The two, when realizing they were getting left behind, sprinted towards their friends.  
  
"Anyway, I was thinking that next practice, we could work on that new distracting technique that Angelina came up with," Ron said to Harry. Harry grinned and both fell into a long conversation about who had the better plans, Angelina or Oliver. Hermione rolled her eyes. Boys! All of them seemed to have quidditch on the brain. "Well, if you must talk about quidditch around me, you better tell Katie to stop flying towards the sun so much, she's missing quaffles because of it," Hermione pointed out vastly amused at the shocked looks of both boys.  
  
"Well? Seriously, it's not like I don't watch the games. It's quite obvious," she pointed out.  
  
"Thanks, Mione," Harry said with a smile. Hermione shook her head. Boys were so...completely oblivious sometimes. Hermione sighed. Maybe, if she could figure them out she'd write a book about them and help the rest of the female race to understand them. 


End file.
